# CVE-2026-27625: Stirling-PDF Zip Slip: Arbitrary File Write via Path Traversal in Markdown-to-PDF ZIP Extraction

> Authenticated users can exploit path traversal in ZIP extraction to write arbitrary files, potentially compromising data integrity or executing code.

- **Severity:** High 8.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Mar 2026
- **Updated:** 20 Mar 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wccq-mg6x-2w22

## What is CVE-2026-27625?

CVE-2026-27625 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Stirling-Tools Stirling-PDF, published on 20 Mar 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Stirling-PDF is a locally hosted web application that performs various operations on PDF files. In versions prior to 2.5.2, the /api/v1/convert/markdown/pdf endpoint extracts user-supplied ZIP entries without path checks. Any authenticated user can write files outside the intended temporary working directory, leading to arbitrary file write with the privileges of the Stirling-PDF process user (stirlingpdfuser). This can overwrite writable files and compromise data integrity, with further impact depending on writable paths. The issue was fixed in version 2.5.2.

Weakness: CWE-23 (Relative Path Traversal), CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-27625?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Stirling Stirling Pdf.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-27625?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-27625 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-27625 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-27625 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Stirling-Tools Stirling-PDF

- [CVE-2026-33438](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33438/): Stirling-PDF vulnerable to DoS via add-watermark (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2026-41580](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41580/): Stirling-PDF: Reflected XSS through crafted PDF metadata fields (Title and Author) (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2026-34071](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-34071/): Stirling-PDF has Stored Cross Site Scripting (XSS) via EML-to-HTML Export (medium 5.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-27625 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-27625 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Stirling-Tools Stirling-PDF, published on 20 Mar 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-27625 exists.

Affected product: Stirling-Tools Stirling-PDF. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27625/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27625/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-27625
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-27625
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-27625

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27625/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.